Fiscal impact feared

Residents don't want words to hurt economy

Ellen Miller, Special to the Rocky

Published August 8, 2007 at midnight

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HUNTINGTON, Utah - With the eyes of the world focused on this tiny coal town as rescuers battle to free six miners from a cave-in, family members of the miners and other residents fear they could harm the region's economy by what they say.

"They're afraid, I think, that whatever they say could be misconstrued," said Hilary Gordon, Huntington's mayor of just three weeks. "We all feel secure with these people (mining company officials) about safety and education. But we don't want to jeopardize our coal economy."

The families of the six missing miners are in a school guarded by deputies.

The community depends on the coal industry and has long accepted its danger.

"Yes, it's a risk," Gordon said. "We're a long way from the pick and shovel of my husband's grandfather's days . . .. But it's still dangerous work."

Gordon said the mine's owner, Robert Murray, directed that the families be moved from the town's senior citizens' center to Canyon View Junior High, "because, the truth of it is, it's the media. Some of you were intrusive, he feels."

Gordon, who spent the second straight day giving interviews, some to news outlets in Europe, met with the families Tuesday morning when she and others delivered breakfast to the school.

"They're very quiet, just visiting among themselves. There's more room for the kids," Gordon said. "But it's also registration day at the school."

Dennis Pearson, an electrician at the Huntington Canyon power plant, said he thinks it's "totally wrong for the mine owner to tell the families they can't talk."

"They're the ones suffering and they should be able to make up their own minds," Pearson said. "All of us want to help in some way, but all we can do is sit and wait."

Pearson's wife, Kaylene, branch manager of the Utah Power & Light Credit Union, said the economy of Huntington, Castle Dale, Orangeville and Ferron depend on coal mining and associated power plants.

"It's our livelihood. With this, it's like a mist over everyone's head," she said. "It's not the time to be critical."

Jenene Hansen, customer service manager at Zions Bank in Huntington, said there are seven or eight mines operating in the area "and what we do down here is truck coal, drive trucks, work in the power plants. There's really nothing else, and the banks and the businesses exist off the industry."

ellenmiller@acsol.net

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